WINSTON-SALEM – More than 30 alumni of
the University of North Carolina School
of the Arts (UNCSA) School of Filmmaking
and the School of Drama worked on ten
of the 115 films that will be screened
at Sundance Film Festival, Jan. 17-27 in
Park City, Utah.

Three films written and directed by
UNCSA film alumni have been selected in
competition and out-of-competition
categories.

MUD,
written and directed by
Jeff Nichols (2001),was selected for the
out-of-competition Spotlight category,
which presents films that have dazzled
audiences at film festivals around the
globe.

PRINCE AVALANCHE,
written, directed and co-produced by
David Gordon Green (1998) will be
screened in the out-of-competition
Premieres category, which showcases some
of the most highly anticipated dramatic
films of the coming year.
Craig Zobel (1999) and
Lisa Muskat (former faculty member
in Film) produced the film.

THIS IS MARTIN BONNER,
written and directed by
Chad Hartigan (2004), was selected in
the Next category, which recognizes pure,
bold works distinguished by an
innovative, forward-thinking approach to
storytelling.

“It is truly remarkable for UNCSA to
have this many alumni working on so many
films screening at the Sundance Film
Festival, including MUD, PRINCE
AVALANCHE and THIS IS MARTIN BONNER.It is testament to the caliber of
talent graduating from the School of the
Arts,” said Interim Dean of Filmmaking
Susan Ruskin.

“We are proud that our alumni are making
a difference in the profession, and in
all aspects of the profession,” she
added, pointing out additional alumni in
the crews and the casts of the films
written by Nichols, Green, and Hartigan,
as well as in six other films chosen by
Sundance.

Alumni worked on two additional films
selected in the Next <=> category:
I USED TO BE DARKER,
with
Alex
Bickel (2004)as colorist; and
MILKSHAKE, with
Ian Bloom (2005) as director of
photography.

In the U.S. Dramatic Competition
category, which offers
a first look at groundbreaking new
voices in American independent film,
alumni worked on three films:
AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS,
with
Michael Sledd (2001) as co-producer
and
Jane Rizzo (1998) as editor;
KILL YOUR DARLINGS, with
Gilana Lobel (2005) as assistant
production coordinator, Shakim Coleman
(2011) as accounting clerk, and
Dane DeHaan (Drama high school 2004
and BFA
2008) appearing as Lucien Carr;
and
MOTHER OF GEORGE, with
Bickel as colorist.

MUD
stars Matthew McConaughey, Reese
Witherspoon and Michael Shannon in the
story of two teenage boys who encounter
a fugitive and form a pact to help him
evade the bounty hunters on his trail
and to reunite him with his true love.

Other Film alumni who are credited for
work on MUD include:

·
Adam Stone
(1999), cinematographer;

·
Richard Wright
(1999), production designer;

·
Elliott Glick
(2004), art director;

·
Will Files
(2002), sound designer;

·
Clint Smith
(2002), dialogue editor;

·
Dylan Conrad
(2010), b camera 1st Assistant Camera;

·
Neil Moore
(2002), c camera operator and director of
photography;

·
Matthew A. Petrosky
(2000), a camera operator and Steadicam;

·
Darius Shahmir
(2001), electronic press kit;

·
Matt Zboyovski
(2001), office production assistant;

·
Doug Ligon
(2001), appeared as a motel clerk.

Additionally,
Michael Abbott Jr., a 2000 alumnus
of the School of Drama, appeared as
James.

PRINCE AVALANCHE, filmed secretly in
Austin, Texas, stars Paul Rudd and Emile
Hirsch in a remake of the Icelandic film
EITHER WAY.

Alumni of the School of Filmmaking who
worked on PRINCE AVALANCHE include:

·
Tim Orr
(1998), cinematographer;

·
Wright,
production designer;

·
Chris Gebert
(2000), production sound mixer;

·
Steve Pedulla
(1999), best boy electric;

·
Files,
sound designer;

·
Devoe Yates
(1998), music supervisor;

·
Scott Gardner
(1999) still photographer;

·
Shahmir,
electronic press kit and behind the
scenes;

·
Smith,
dialogue editor;

Bickel,
colorist

THIS IS MARTIN BONNER stars Paul
Eenhoorn, Richard Arquette and Sam
Buchanan. Martin Bonner has just moved
to Reno for a new job in prison
rehabilitation. Starting over at age 58,
he struggles to adapt until an unlikely
friendship with an ex-con blossoms,
helping him confront the problems he
left behind.

Film alumni credited for THIS IS MARTIN
BONNER include:

·
Sean McElwee
(2004), director of photography;

·
Nate Brown
(2004) as gaffer;

·
Bickel
as colorist;

·
Marc Ripper
(2004) as print graphics and design;

·
Matt Goldberg
(2004) as budget consultant;

·
Brendan McFadden
(2004) as spiritual adviser.

Additionally,
Tarah DeSpain (Drama 2002) appeared
as a waitress.

More than 12,000 films were submitted
for consideration by the Sundance
Institute, sponsors of the festival.
Robert Redford is president and founder
of the institute.

UNCSA has additional connections to
Sundance.
Rebecca Green (2001) is manager of
producing initiatives at the
institute,
and
Summer Shelton (2008) was the first
Bingham Ray Producing Fellow at the
institute. The fellowship is named for a
producer and executive who died last
year, but for many years was a fixture
at the Sundance Festival.
Shelton’s was one of only 11 projects
selected for the institute’s prestigious
Creative Producing Labs and Creative
Producing Summit.

As America’s first state-supported arts
school, the University of North Carolina
School of the Arts is a unique
stand-alone public university of arts
conservatories. With a high school
component, UNCSA is a degree-granting
institution that trains young people of
talent in music, dance, drama,
filmmaking, and design and production.
Established by the N.C. General Assembly
in 1963, the School of the Arts opened
in Winston-Salem (“The City of Arts and
Innovation”) in 1965 and became part of
the University of North Carolina system
in 1972. For more information, visit
www.uncsa.edu.

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*Editor’s Note: All alumni are School of
Filmmaking alumni except where noted as
School of Drama alumni.